Dead Roses
by Utena
Summary: Anthy is dead. Utena must bring her back. And find out who killed her.
1. Default Chapter

Dead Roses: 

Dead Roses: 

Shoujo Kakumei Utena

"Let's live our lives heroically,

Let's them with style.

And even if the two of us are ever torn apart…

…take my revolution."*

****

Part One:

"Himemiya!!!" Utena called as she entered their room. "I'm home!!" Silence answered her. "That's strange. It's not Saturday. She should be here. Maybe she's still at class." Suddenly, Utena heard a scratching sound from the dining room. She ran to the door and opened it. 

"Aha! Himemiya! I've found you!" she cried and then stopped when she saw that it was only Chu-chu sitting on the table, eating crackers and saying "chu chu". Utena sighed. "Chu-chu!" she scolded. "Don't you ever stop eating?" Chu-chu ignored her for a second and then gluttonously shoved the remainder of his crackers into his tiny mouth. Somehow, he did not die.

Utena groaned and walked back out of the dining room.

"I suppose I should try to get my homework done." She mused. Back in the room, she kneeled at the table and took out her math assignment. After an hour, she took a break. "I wish I had Miki here." She complained. 

The clock read eight-thirty. "When is Himemiya going to come home!!?" Utena thought. Then, an idea struck her. Maybe Anthy was in trouble. It wasn't unlikely. She was the 'Rose Bride' and as such, she was the target of many people's ridicule and desire. One time, she had even been kidnapped.

"I've got to help Himemiya!" Utena yelled suddenly and ran out of the dorm.

Utena searched all over the school; in the rose garden, the library, and the cooking classroom. She found Anthy no where.

There was only one more place to go…

"Zettai unmei mokushi-roku. Zettai unmei mokushi-roku."~

The dueling arena lay upward as Utena climbed the stairs, which seemed endless. "At least I'm not hear for a duel," murmured Utena. But still, for some reason, she felt a sense of foreboding at going to the top, where the eternal castle would be in plain view. Gathering herself, Utena ascended the last few steps to the top. What she saw was a horror to her eyes. 

"Himemiya!" she cried, tears already running down her cheeks as she rushed to the dead girl's side. Blood pooled around her lifeless body. But Utena could discern no wounds. Anthy was simply…

"No!!!" Utena cried out. "You're not dead! This is a dream. A dream…"

And then, Utena woke up. She was in her own bed, in her own room.   
"Nani? I guess it really was a dream," she said shivering. 

"Himemiya?" she called and looked over the edge of her bed to Anthy's bed below. But it was empty. "She must be cooking. Or cleaning." Utena reasoned. But as she went through the day and didn't see Anthy anywhere, she began to recall her dream. "No! It wasn't real." She cried and bumped into Wakaba.   
"Utena-sama!" Wakaba screeched in delight. Then she looked at Utena's face. "You don't look to good. What's wrong?"

"Wakaba, have you seen Himemiya?"

"Dare?" asked Wakaba.

"Himemiya Anthy! You know! My room mate!" Utena yelled, loosing patience with her bouncy friend.

"No clue who you're talking about, Utena!" Wakaba said. "I got classes now! See ya later!" Wakaba ran off.

Utena stood still in surprise. "What does she mean she doesn't know?" She walked aimlessly for a few minutes until she bumped into someone else. Student council President Kiryuu Touga held out his arms to steady her.

"Touga-sama!" Utena said. "You must tell me where Himemiya is!"

Touga looked sadly into her eyes and then away. "Don't you know. She is dead."

"Dead!" Utena cried out softly. "My dream…"

"You were not dreaming. You fainted and I found you and returned you to your room."

"Who killed her?"

"I don't know."

"Tell me! You must know!" 

"I don't."

Utena gripped his uniform fiercely for a few moments. Then she let go. 

"Where is she?"

"We will have a funeral service for her tonight." Touga answered.

Utena nodded slowly, somewhat accepting what had happened, only because she had to. 

"No one will remember her. Only the duelists."

"I see," Utena began to walk away. That explained why Wakaba didn't know who I was talking about, she thought.

"Tenjou!" Touga called.

Utena stopped and turned around. There will be another Rose Bride. You will possess them, since you were the last champion."

"I don't want to! I don't want anyone other than Himemiya!!" Utena turned and ran away. Somehow, she could not cry. She could not believe it.

The princess she had sworn to protect was dead. She had failed.

Next part will come very soon. Arigato.

"Missing truth and forever,

kissing love and true your heart.

Hold me tight with your arms so true.

The key to unlock to-morrow is reality.

I want to keep

on smashing lies apart.

No matter how much

the two of us may talk…

…you still just can't 

see anything.

Excuses are fitting for adults

Who just cling to old stories.

The angels who were passed over 

Don't need wings to fly!

Missing truth and forever,

Kissing love and true your heat.

I like who I'll be to-morrow and…

…I'll believe in myself 

because I want to believe.

I want to keep on hating lies."**

*From the opening song Rinbu Revolution

**The ending song, Truth

~From the song Zettai Unmei Mokushi-roku (Absolute Destiny Apocalypse)


	2. Part Two

Dead Roses:

Dead Roses:

Shoujo Kakumei Utena

"In the sunlit garden,

We both joined our hands.

Drawing close for comfort,

We both swore:

Never again would

We ever fall in love.

I see that photo of us smiling,

Standing cheek to cheek.

I look at it and a bit of

Loneliness starts to fill in me."*

****

Part Two:

"I suppose I should be on my way to Himemi…to the funeral." Utena thought as she sat on the floor of the rose garden, where she had hidden from Wakaba and everyone else. She felt close to Anthy there because she had always tended the roses. "It's so hard to think of her as gone." Utena sighed. She felt like a great weight was on her shoulders. It was something that she could not shake off.

Anthy's coffin looked the same as the ones her mother and father had lain in when she was young. She had laid in one too, in an effort to shake off life and to be closer to her dead parents. Now, she almost felt like hiding in one again. Touga stood near her, almost as if to say, "don't try it". Utena clenched her fists. No, she thought. I must be strong for Himemiya's sake. But how…?

Utena walked forward and dropped her white rose onto the coffin. Then she stood aside for the next person. She watched as one by one, the only people who remembered Himemiya dropped their own roses and said their final good-byes. Miki almost broke down. Juri had to take him away. The last person came. It was Ohtori Akio: Anthy's brother. He dropped a dark purple rose onto the coffin. It landed noiselessly. Utena watched as he stared at the coffin for a few moments, and then walked silently away from the graveyard. "Where is he going?" Utena wondered. She knew she shouldn't, but she followed him.

He went to the arena, naturally. Utena didn't follow any further, though she did wonder what he was going there for. She felt her stomach and mind protest at the thought of going back to place where she had found Himemiya. Where Anthy was killed…

She did not go back to her room either. That reminded her too much of Himemiya. She headed back to the rose garden. 

"Tenjou Utena!" called Touga. Utena stopped. She felt his arms slowly wrap around her. She wanted to slap them away, but she was too weary. Besides, there was something vaguely comforting about having him there. It almost made her want to cry. The way she had to the prince when she was little.

"You should come and meet the knew Rose Bride." Touga said.

"No."

"You have to."

"I'll have no part of it anymore. Because of this dueling game, this 'Rose Bride' thing, Himemiya is dead!" Utena said and whirled around to face him. Somehow he managed to still keep his arms around her. 

"Calm down. Didn't you always say that she hated to be the Rose Bride? Well now she isn't."

"Why, you!" Utena finally got away from him. 

Before anything else could happen, someone stepped out from the shadows.

"Utena-sama," said the figure. "I am the new Rose Bride, and yours from here on."

Utena gasped. It was Wakaba! "No," Utena murmured. "Never!" Wakaba came up to Utena and bowed. She reached for Utena's hand with her own. Utena slapped it away. "NO! You are not the Rose Bride! Get…get away from me!!!!!!!!!!!!" Utena ran to the rose garden and finally managed to cry.

In the morning, Utena skipped her classes. She had nothing to do. 

"Hmmm. I haven't seen Chu-chu in a while. I had better going find him." Utena said and left the garden.

She spotted Chu-chu chasing a bee. "Chu-chu! Get over here. I'm your mistress now, so…hey!" Chu-chu paid her no heed and ran farther away. Utena had no choice but to try and catch him. He ran and she chased, and finally she realized she had followed him to the edge of the forest where the arena was. "Oh, Chu-chu!" Utena called. Then she heard him scream out, "CHUUUUUU!" The sound was coming from the other side of the wall that blocked off the arena. 

"Chu-chu!" Utena called. Quickly she opened the door with her ring and ran up the steps. "Chu-chu, where are you!" she called, because the silence was deafening. She remembered being here just two nights ago and finding…

Utena gasped. At the top of the steps, she could see that there was a coffin in the middle of the dueling arena. It was Anthy's. Or was it? She stepped closer to it. Was Anthy inside? Was she really dead?

__

"Don't open it!"

Utena gasped. She shook herself and then reached for the coffin lid again.

__

"Please! Don't open it!"

The voice! It was Utena's own voice from when she was a child. From when she had hid in the coffin!

Utena composed herself again. She had to know! She had to open it!

__

"Don't open it!"

"Chuuuu!?" Chu-chu screamed and came bounding up.

Utena jumped. "Chu-chu, don't you ever scare me like that again!"

"Chuuuu…" Chu-chu moaned, to show that he was sorry.

Utena cast one last glance at the coffin. Then she turned and began to walk down the stairs. 

"Come on, Chu-chu. Let's go."

Utena fell asleep that night, wishing she _had _opened it.

There will be a part three soon. Arigatou.

"Missing truth and forever,

Kissing love and true your heart.

Dakishimete honto no te de.

Asu wo hiraku kagi wa reality

Uso wo kawashi-tsuzuketai.

Kore ijou hanashi wo shite mo

Anata kara nani mo mienai.

Shiritagatte 'ru mei waku na kare

Gokai sarete itai.

Mukashi no hanashi ni sugaru

Otona ni wa iiwake ga niaru.

Erebarenai tenchi-tachi ni hane sae mo iranai.

Missing truth and forever,

Kissing love and true your heart.

Ashita no jibun ga suki to

Shinjite iru no shinjitai kara

Uso ni kirawarete itai…"**

*From Rinbu Revolution.

**Japanese words for Truth.


	3. Part Three

Dead Roses

Dead Roses

Shojou Kakumei Utena

"Even if I dream, even if I cry,

Even if I get hurt…

…reality keeps 

on coming recklessly.

I wanna find out where I am,

The value of being me

Gonna take who I've 

Been up till now…"*

Part Three:

Utena couldn't stand not doing anything anymore. It gave her too much time to think, and that was no good because then she thought of Anthy. She felt she had to move on with her life, even if she just went through the motions without feeling anything.

Utena left for her morning classes. People greeted her in the way they always had.

"Utena-sama, ohayo!"

"Ohayo!" Utena answered back, but not with the same exuberance that she used too. She remembered that to them, nothing had happened. They didn't know about anyone being killed. At that thought, Utena clenched her fists. She still wanted to find who was responsible for Anthy's death and make them pay.

The day seemed to be heading okay when Utena was tapped on the shoulder and found herself face-to-face with Wakaba.

"Oh, no!" Utena cried. "Look," she told Wakaba. "I don't want anymore to do with the Rose Bride thing. I told you yesterday."

Wakaba just looked at her and said nothing. Utena sighed.

"Look," she said again. "I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but I just don't want you that way. It's not right for you. Can't you be just plain Wakaba again?"  
Wakaba stared at her in a calm and serene way that did not seem like her at all. It reminded Utena of the way Anthy had always looked. Calm and cool, no matter what. Was that the way all Rose Brides acted? Utena wondered. She shifted her weight and remained silent, not knowing what to say.

Wakaba broke the lull. "Utena-sama, I will show you where Himemiya is, if that is what you want."

Utena narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, where Himemiya is?"

"I'll show you her."  
"Himemiya is dead!" Utena shouted. Wakaba looked at her calmly and turned away. "Wait!" Utena grabbed Wakaba by the shoulder and turned her back around. "What do you mean you'll show her to me?"

"Follow me. She is alive." Wakaba turned and began to walk away. Utena stood in shock for a moment and then had to run to catch up to her.

Utena felt like she was using her friend as the Rose Bride to find out about what she knew of Anthy, but somehow she didn't care. She had to know.

Up the steps of the arena, and then to the center, where the coffin from the day before remained un-moved. 

Wakaba stopped in front of it and stepped to the side. When Utena caught up to her, she spoke softly without turning to her friend. 

"Here," Wakaba announced.

Utena started, but then slowly reached forward to open it. She hesitated, expecting to here her voice, a scream, anything to break the silence. Nothing happened. She opened the lid and looked inside. It was just like the time when Anthy had been in the coffin before. There she lay, looking dead. But it was obvious that she was alive. 

Alive! Utena thought. She's alive! She touched the dark skin of her friend and the reached out and lifted her out of the coffin. Wakaba stood by watching. Utena set Himemiya down on the ground and knelt beside her. "She's breathing," Utena murmured.

Anthy lifted her eyelids and looked up at Utena. 

"Utena-sama…" 

"Anthy! You're really alive! Who did this to you? Who tried to kill you?"

Anthy looked blankly at Utena for a moment. "Tell me! Who tried to kill you?!" Utena demanded.

"I did," a voice said behind them.

Utena whirled around. Her eyes widened in shock. "Impossible!" she cried. "Why would you hurt Himemiya!"

The person merely glared at her. Utena turned back to Anthy. "Is it true. Did…?"

"Anthy!" the person cried. "Tell her who it was. Tell her it was me."

"Hai, onii-sama." Anthy said. "It was him."

Then Akio began to laugh.

*From Rinbu Revolution.

Gomen! It took me so long to get this part up! But I have my excuses! I had to graduate this year after all! (And I had to attend many parties! ^_^) Well, the next part will be up sooner than this one was. Probably to-morrow. Thank you so much for your reviews!


	4. Part Four: Finale

Dead Roses

Dead Roses

Shoujo Kakumei Utena

"…and find the strength 

to throw it all away.

Strip down to nothing at all.

Become like a rose petal

Blowing free!

Even if the two of us

Are ever torn apart…

…I swear that I

will change the world."*

Part Four: Finale

"Akio!" Utena cried out. "What do you two mean, you tried to kill her?!"

"Just that. I tried to get rid of Anthy to get rid of you. And it almost worked. Except Anthy never really died and that girl there decided to help you. Such a pity." Akio laughed again and then turned to walk away. "I'll just have to plan something else."

Utena could feel rage boiling up within her. Akio was evil! She could see that now. He must be stopped.

"WAIT!" Utena yelled. Akio stopped. "I challenge you!"

"_You_ challenge _me_?" Akio laughed. 

"Yes," Utena growled.

"Very well, ojii-sama. We'll see what you're made of."

Akio pulled a sword out of the air. Its blade was black, its hilt was blood red. "I used this one on Anthy," he commented.

Utena gritted her teeth.

Anthy stood weakly. She summoned the Sword of Dios and Utena drew it out from her chest.

"Grant me the power to revolutionize the world!" Utena cried.

She rushed at Akio. In this duel, there were no roses to knock off. This was to the death. 

Utena thrust the Sword of Dios at Akio's chest. He laughed and sidestepped the blow. Then he swung his black sword at her and Utena was just barely able to block it with her own. He laughed again and pressed hard against her blade until they were nearly face to face. Utena fought the urge to spit in his face. She instead used all her might to push him away from her. Then she stabbed forward and her blade almost hit home, but Akio dodged and put his blade into her side.

"Arggghh!" Utena screamed and fell to the ground. Her sword flew from her hand.

Akio stood over her. "You shouldn't have challenged me, _ojii-sama_!" he said mockingly. He held the black sword over his head and slashed it down.

"Nooo!" someone screamed.

Utena closed her eyes and prepared for the pain. But instead, she felt only the weight of someone on top of her. She opened her eyes to see Akio laying limp across her. Slowly she pushed him off and got up. A hand reached out and helped her to her feet.

"Touga!" Utena said in surprise. Touga stood with a sword in his had. It was dripping blood. Akio's blood, Utena realized.

"Are you alright, Tenjou?" Touga asked.

"Yes, but what about him," she gestured toward Akio.

"He'll survive." Touga looked at her side, which was gushing blood. "You're hurt!" he exclaimed.

"It's nothing," Utena said. "Is Anthy alright?"

"Yes she is, but you…"

"I'm fine…" Suddenly, she felt faint. The last thing she saw was Touga bent over her in concern.

Utena woke up the next day. She had no memory of how she got there or of what had happened. She looked down below to the bunk Anthy used. It was empty. 

Utena flung the covers back and jumped out of bed.

"Himemiya!" she called. The door opened. Anthy stood there with Chu-chu.

"We made breakfast, Utena-sama," Anthy told her.

"Himemiya!" Utena sighed. She was all right. Utena felt immense relief. She was so worried there for a second. Afraid that something might have happened to Himemiya. She wasn't sure why, but she was relieved. She was so happy, that she would even eat Anthy's shaved ice.

On her way to class, Utena passed by someone. She looked and saw that it was the Dean, Ohtori Akio. She felt herself blushing.

Later, Touga approached her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Of course."

"You don't remember what happened, do you?" Touga wondered.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. As long as you are okay." Touga leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. Utena was so surprised that she stood still for a few minutes, even after Touga was gone.

What was that all about? She wondered. She looked up and saw the arena. She had been unwilling to fight in the duels for a long time, but for some reason now she wanted the power she was fighting for. The power to revolutionize the world.

"Sekai wo kakumei suru tame ni**," Utena murmured to herself. Then she went on to her classes. It was the beginning of a revolution.

* From Rinbu Revolution

** Japanese for "for the revolution of the world".

That's the end! Arigatou for reading my fic. I hope you liked it. It was pretty kinda sorta short. Oh, well. Any reviews would be appreciated.

Remember: "If the chick cannot break its shell, it will die without truly being born. We are the chick; the world is our egg. It we don't break the world's shell, we will die without truly being born. Break the world's shell. Sekai wo kakumei suru tame ni." (I decided not to put the whole chick speech in Japanese.)


End file.
